1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a waste station structured to accommodate the deposit of urine by a male dog in an indoor or other environment comprising a base and a pole extending upwardly and inwardly from the base thereby accommodating the “leg lifting” posture of a male dog typically assumed while urinating. Both the base and a covering structure of the pole are formed from an absorbent material of sufficiently versatile structure to be disposed of or alternatively washed after one or more depositing visitations by the dog.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pet ownership and in particular the owning and maintaining of dogs is popular throughout many areas of the world. Responsibilities associated with dog and other type pet ownership include the providing of adequate facilities which enable a dog to exercise and also to deposit the animal's waste products. Typically, dogs may defecate only once a day. However, a dog may frequently urinate throughout a given period in order to properly eliminate the associated waste. In addition, “territory marking” is a common habit with male dogs and unfortunately may occur relatively frequently in both an indoor and outdoor environment due to the animal's natural instincts.
Accordingly, in order to provide adequate facilities for the elimination of waste, most dogs and other type pets are walked or otherwise provided access to the outdoors. However, many local agencies have enacted ordinances or regulations which restrict or otherwise regulate tethering of the animal and the disposal of waste products eliminated by a pet. Accordingly, absent the availability of an enclosed backyard or other outdoor area suitable for waste elimination, there may be numerous occurrences throughout the day when a male dog's natural tendency is either to demonstrate its dominance over a specific territory or otherwise relieve itself through urination.
More specifically, male dogs often “mark” objects that are new and brought into the home or other area occupied by the animal. As set forth above, such “urine marking” is a natural extinct of many male dogs in order to demonstrate “ownership” of a given indoor or outdoor area. The inherent drive of a male dog to perform such territorial marking is a natural instinct and accordingly may be a difficult habit to overcome. Naturally activities of this type are particularly troublesome when they occur indoors or in other inappropriate areas which may be commonly occupied or frequently accessed by the animal's owners.
Accordingly there is a need in this area for a waste station or like assembly specifically structured to facilitate the collection of urine which satisfies a male dog's natural instincts, but which eliminates or significantly reduces the possibility of damage being done to surrounding objects such as furniture, floors or the like. In addition, a proposed and preferred waste station should also be dimensioned and configured to accommodate the natural “leg lifting” tendencies of male dogs thereby facilitating the use of such a waste station and satisfying a male dog's natural tendency to mark their territory or alternatively to collect periodically deposited urine. Moreover, such a preferred and proposed waste station should have an absorbent material base of adequate size and configuration to extend in overlying, covering and/or protecting relation to a supporting surface(s) and or objects. In addition, the proposed waste station should also include an upstanding “pole” disposed within the peripheral boundaries of the base and being of a sufficient height to extend upwardly and inwardly from the base, a distance which will generally accommodate the size of the dog utilizing the waste station.
Finally, the absorbent material and other structural features of such a proposed waste station should have sufficient structural integrity and absorbency characteristics to collect virtually all of the urine deposited thereon, while in at least one embodiment, be capable of being disposed of or possibly washed after one or more urine deposits.